Cheap Vs expensive PSU

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buzz_shocker

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I am building a new pc . Should i buy a cheaper Corsair VS 450 (450w) PSU or go with an expensive Seasonic S12II 520 watt PSU. The former is 35 dollars and the latter is 85 dollars ( in India because conversion rates are awesome ) . My build - i3 6100 Rx 470. And is the Seasonic one compatible for Indian usage ?
 
Solution
geofelt
A cheap PSU will be made of substandard components. It will not have safety and overload protections.
If it fails under load, it can destroy anything it is connected to.
It will deliver advertised power only at room temperatures, not at higher temperatures found when installed in a case.
The wattage will be delivered on the 3 and 5v rails, not on the 12v rails where modern parts
like the CPU and Graphics cards need it. What power is delivered may fluctuate and cause instability
issues that are hard to diagnose.
The fan will need to spin up higher to cool it, making it noisy.
A cheap PSU can become very expensive. Do not buy one.

Look for a tier 1 or 2 unit from a list such as this...
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raisonjohn

raisonjohn

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Between the 2 models you are choosing, eliminate the VS450 for its poor quality/warranty (3-year). That model has actually been discontinued (the CP-9020009 model, the CP-9020049 model, and the CP-9020096 model). The Seasonic S12II-520 would suit you well.
 
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13thmonkey

13thmonkey

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Jan 10, 2006
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As to why you should get the 'better' supply.

1. if it fails it'll be more likely to fail safely and not take out everything else.
2. if your power is poor, it's more likely to cope with this.
3. it'll do what it says, if it says 520W, then around 480-500 will be available on the 12V rail, which is where you need it, poor supplies might only have 400W on the 12V for a similar size.
4. the power will be more stable, i'd suggest that 5-10% of the problems on here at times are PSU related.
5. it'll do it's rated power at a good temperature, cheap supplies might only be rated at 30C, good supplies are rated as being able to work at 40 or even 50C, which is easy to achieve inside a case.
6. it's less likely to burn your house down.
there are many more reasons.
 
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buzz_shocker

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So should I buy the S12 one ? Also can it be used in India ?
 
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raisonjohn

raisonjohn

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That would be my choice. The Seasonic S12II-520 has an AC voltage range of 100V - 240V, should work in your country. The plug type however, you may (or may not) need an adapter, depending on where you bought the S12II, as you are mainly using Type D plug types.
 
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LucoTF

LucoTF

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85 dollars for that seasonic is crazy expensive though, especially for a 50w CPU + 120w GPU

The VS450 is not a great power supply but it's far from the worst. The 049 and 096 models both give out 408w on the +12v, really hard to see OP being disappointed with it given his low power requirements, regardless I would be interested to know what other options are available between this budget PSU (and its Capxon caps) and the relatively expensive seasonic. Hopefully a happy middle ground
 
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buzz_shocker

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What about the Antec VP450PS or BP450PS ? They are close in price to the VS450 but way cheaper than the S12.

 
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maddogfargo

maddogfargo

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Nov 28, 2006
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Power supply is NOT a part you want to cheap out on. But there are good medium budget options. For quality, Seasonic and FirePower (PC Power and Cooling) are my 2 favorite brands. https://www.pcpowerandcooling.com//

Seasonic 520w PSU is on sale from time to time and a very good pick.
 
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buzz_shocker

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There is a Cooler Master GX750 for 43 dollars after conversion. Is that good ?
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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Oct 9, 2006
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A cheap PSU will be made of substandard components. It will not have safety and overload protections.
If it fails under load, it can destroy anything it is connected to.
It will deliver advertised power only at room temperatures, not at higher temperatures found when installed in a case.
The wattage will be delivered on the 3 and 5v rails, not on the 12v rails where modern parts
like the CPU and Graphics cards need it. What power is delivered may fluctuate and cause instability
issues that are hard to diagnose.
The fan will need to spin up higher to cool it, making it noisy.
A cheap PSU can become very expensive. Do not buy one.

Look for a tier 1 or 2 unit from a list such as this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Here is a chart showing what wattage you might need:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Your cpu is a good one, capable of running a stronger graphics card.
I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.

You might want to go stronger in anticipation of a future graphics card upgrade.
It usually does not cost significantly more.
 
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Solution
DSzymborski

DSzymborski

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Nov 19, 2010
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I'd get either the Corsair VS or Antec VP before this one.

 
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